The Flickering Light

OUTSIDE A BAR, A STREET LIGHT FLICKERED.

 

The bar was loud and the people were quiet. So quiet you could hear the secrets that hung from their lips that they swallowed with every sip of alcohol yet were unable to digest. They did not become drunk on drink, but on their secrets, that got stuck in their guts and were unable to lay to rest.

 

‘’Last week a witch was burned at the stake’’ a man said

‘’She let down her country by letting up her secrets’’ a man replied

‘’Her last words were: Although the water is dumb, the sea is wise.’’

‘’What does that even mean?’’

‘’No idea! It’s that kind of talk that got her killed.’’

 

I was sitting in the corner of the bar, sipping my drink with my eyes down on the shabby table. I was here for a business trip and was staying in one of the rooms. The whole place was rather rundown but it was all I could get at such short notice. In contrast to its appearance, the drinks were expensive.

After a time and all of a sudden, a woman comes over to me and asks:

 

‘’Do you mourn the dead?’

‘’I think the dead mourn me.’’

‘’Do you believe in angels?’’

‘’Yes, I’m not sure if they believe in me though’’

‘’I saw an angel once. It was kissing a beast who lay dying. They were obviously in love. But because the beast was too heavy to carry, the angel could not carry the beast to the next world and so they were unable to be together’’

‘’Well, some things are out of reach when you stretch too far’’

‘’Everyone in here has stretched too far. We drink because we mourn.’’

‘’ And then mourn because you drink?’’

 

The woman did not answer and went back to her seat.

 

I downed my drink and went to the bar. I mentioned to the barman (lightly) how expensive the drinks are.

‘’ I, being poor drink cheap and sell rich’’ he said

‘’Drink rich and sell poor, I say’’

‘’I want big numbers. Not small ones’’

‘’The smallest numbers have the biggest questions’’

‘’Questions don’t pay the rent’’

‘’ And the rent doesn’t pay the questions’’

‘’Questions don’t need paying’’

‘’They do if you want the answers.’’

 

I ordered my drink and sat back down.

I sipped my drink and minded my own business.

Soon I began to hear some sort of ruckus. It was coming from the other side of the bar. Two men were in one another’s faces and like two angry cats hissed and showed teeth. One pushed the other and a fight broke out. There were punches thrown and teeth caught. They bore the beginning that remained unaware of itself and being weak of sight, they were hard of heart.

‘’With beasts the blunter the mind, the sharper the teeth’’ a woman said.

‘’Take it outside’’ shouted the Barman

And so, they did.

 The whole bar followed and placed bets.

They stood under the flickering street lamp, their fists in position and their eyes locked on one another. The tension between the two men and the excitement from the crowd filled the air. The first punch was thrown and the crowd cheered. Blood was spilled and they struck each other with such force they were deprived of grace and each knocked the other out and fell to the floor. The two men laid there under the flickering light, still as sleep would allow.

The crowd grew tired, groaned with disappointment, and ventured back into the bar.

I sat back down and sipped at my drink.

Then out of the window, I witnessed two angels trying to pick up the two men. They tried and tried to lift the two men but they were too heavy. They put their arms under the men’s armpits and flapped their wings as powerfully as they could but still, they could not lift them up.

They looked at one another with a sacred sadness, kissed the two men upon their foreheads, and flew away.

Then the light died out and flickered no more.

 

 

Reviews

[Relic]

Not too bad, it could use some commas here and there. I got that old ancient vibe from it and I liked the angel scene. Keep writing.

[Danny Metcalfe]

Yes, you, too.